Ozaukee County businesses of the year announced Honors
given for small, mid-size and large companies

News Graphic Staff

July 17, 2014

OZAUKEE COUNTY — Ozaukee
Economic Development on Monday named businesses from
Thiensville, Mequon and Port Washington as recipients of its
Business of the Year award.

The program, which began last year, recognizes businesses that
have seen significant business and job growth over the past five
years and are strong community partners. This year, OED is
honoring three businesses, one in the small business category,
one in the mid-size category and one in the large business
category.

The recipients are:

■ Small Business of the Year: Shully’s Cuisine & Events in
Thiensville. Shully’s Cuisine & Events opened in Ozaukee County
in 1984. The company, which was founded by Scott and Beth Shully,
has seen significant growth in its revenue stream and has
developed an ever-expanding base of clients. In 2013, Shully’s
expanded its current facility, adding its new event space, the
Watermark, which will allow the company to continue to grow the
events it has at its facility.

Additionally, Shully’s has been cultivating relations with other
event venue spaces to increase business opportunities and
recently signed a contract to provide services at Ramhorn Farms
in Newburg.

Shully’s has always been a strong community partner, working
with nonprofits and community organizations by providing reduced
room fees and food costs. Karl Hertz, former Thiensville village
president and current Ozaukee County Board member, stated that
over the past 20 years, “Shully’s has creatively grown while
maintaining an excellent sense of community pride, involvement
and principled citizenship.”

■ Mid-Size Business of the Year: Johnson Level and Tool in
Mequon. Founded in 1947, Johnson Level is a leading manufacturer
of professional quality tools. During the current recession – to
counteract a drop in retail spending and construction trades
work – Johnson Level adapted its business processes to maintain
and continue its growth, adopting a lean manufacturing
initiative that focuses on workshop optimization instead of
staff reductions and began expanding current international
business relationships to increase its exporting to foreign
markets.

With these new initiatives, Johnson Level has increased its
workforce by more than 12 percent and seen a 27.5 percent
increase in revenue. As a third-generation, family-owned
business, Johnson Level continues to give back to the community,
working with the WOW Workforce Development Board,
Mequon-Thiensville Board of Education, Junior Achievement and
Boy Scouts of America.

Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington Workforce Development Board
President Francisco Sanchez said about Johnson Level, “As a
locally owned manufacturer with a global impact, the company
remains committed to supporting important community causes and
business efforts, such as providing leadership on our board.”

■ Large Business of the Year: Ansay and Associates in Port
Washington. Ansay was founded in 1946 by Adolph Ansay and
continues to remain a family-run business. Since 1995, the
company has been in a growth and expansion mode, opening in new
markets (Green Bay, West Bend, Fox Valley) and acquiring
complementary businesses.

The company has seen its employees grow from 85 in 2009 to 200
employees currently. As part of this growth, sales have almost
tripled over the past five years. As a company that focuses on a
relationship of trust and integrity with its clients, community
support is vital to the company The company is a contributer to
Portal Industries, the Port Washington Historical Society, the
Luxembourg American Cultural Center, Port Washington’s Fish Day
and allows employees to contribute eight hours of paid work time
to the nonprofit of their choice helping expand their community
support.

Ozaukee County Administrator Tom Meaux praised the company.

“Mike Ansay and his team not only are growing their business and
creating local jobs but also giving back to our community in so
many ways,” Meaux said. “We salute their business efforts and
long standing legacy in Ozaukee County.”

The businesses will be presented with their awards at Ozaukee
Economic Development’s Business of the Year and Economic
Forecast Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 24 at the Ozaukee Pavilion
on the Cedarburg Fairgrounds.